Alumni in Action - Dr. Matt Harmody '79

Dr. Matt Harmody '79

Southern Pines, NC
 

Growing up in Old Brooklyn, Dr. Matt Harmody ’79 never imagined that one high school basketball game would have a lasting impact. A friend invited him to a Saint Ignatius game, and the spirit and energy in Sullivan Gym stayed with him. He applied, was accepted, and, coming from a household of modest means, convinced his parents to make the leap with him.

Matt entered Saint Ignatius from St. Leo the Great School, eager but untested. Freshman basketball tryouts brought 70 hopeful players into the gym, an eye-opening experience that ended with his name not making the final cut. Instead of stepping back, Matt shifted toward track and cross country. Unable to run freshman year because of injury, he spent the summer between freshman and sophomore year running 500 miles. This was not only an impressive number and feat, this became a milestone that would shape his approach to goals for the rest of his life.

“Being on a team gave you identity,” he shared. “It connected you. You leaned on each other. Those long runs to Edgewater Park built more than endurance, they built brotherhood, discipline, and a commitment to excellence.”

One core memory Matt has from his time at Saint Ignatius was Sophomore Service, where he tutored students back at his grade school alma mater, St. Leo’s. He fondly remembers the Bimbo bags, theology textbooks thick enough to double as weights, and the annual walk to St. John’s Cathedral for The Mass of The Holy Spirit.

Dr. Harmody credits three Ignatius educators that made a lasting impact on him; Dr. Michael Pennock ’64 guided his moral and spiritual thinking, making theology accessible and real, Mr. Vince Benander wrapped the number π around his calculus classroom walls and transformed math into something creative, and Mr. Golada sparked in him a love for science, one that would quietly resurface years later in life-changing ways.

Matt graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Chemical Engineering, serving two years as the Bearcat mascot, and later joined British Petroleum in research engineering. His path seemed set, until life intervened. During Matt’s sophomore year of college, his father developed kidney disease, beginning dialysis and eventually passing away at just 59. That experience changed everything.

Matt walked away from this tragic experience with two realizations, “that you can be a living kidney donor, and that engineering wasn’t rewarding enough for me. I felt called to something more.” At age 30, Matt returned to school, this time for medicine at Case Western Reserve University. He went on to spend 25 years in emergency medicine in the Pinehurst/UNC region before retiring. But retirement didn’t slow him down, it freed up time to focus on his passion project. In 2017, Matt donated one of his kidneys as a living donor. Today, he serves as Chair for the National Kidney Donation Organization and is a national advocate, writer, and speaker on kidney donation.

The need for kidney donors is staggering:
 • 90,000+ Americans are on the transplant waiting list
 • Only ~25,000 kidney transplants occur annually
 • 1/3 are from living donors - who provide kidneys that last twice as long
 • Only 25% of dialysis patients are able to work full-time

Matt’s message is clear:
living donation changes and saves lives.
 

Recently, Dr. Harmody joined four other donors in climbing all 50 U.S. state highpoints, proving that kidney donors live fully, actively, and boldly. The experience sparked a book project, rooted in donor and recipient stories, medical innovation, and a spirit of hope. The book is titled Ascending America: Five Kidney Donors, Fifty Peaks in Fifty States, One Record-Breaking Journey.

“We’re on this earth to help others,” Matt reflects. “The sooner you begin to return what you’ve received, the more life gives back.” Matt continues to travel, write, speak, and advocate for kidney donation, sharing his story so others may find courage to give life. His mission is simple and powerful: Help more people live, and live fully.

When asked to give advice to current students, Matt responds in a very practical way, “Build resilience, habits and routines prepare you for challenges and make sure you take advantage of every opportunity given to you.”